Tailoring of the ongoing water, sanitation and hygiene interventions for prevention and control of COVID-19

Abstract

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions remain to be important in the prevention of further spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Basic hygiene interventions such as handwashing with water and soap (HWWS) when applied consistently will deactivate and remove the virus particles from the hands. Realizing the efforts that have been made by countries world over in controlling the COVID-19, this letter seeks to discuss how the available WASH services can be used in the fight against further spread of COVID-19. The letter highlights the challenges being faced by the current WASH services in middle-and low-income countries and suggests measures that can be employed to strengthen the WASH services in this period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Water, sanitation, hygiene and waste disposal practices as COVID-19 response strategy: insights from Bangladesh

“…Adequate WASH practices are crucial to protect human health during any infectious disease outbreaks, including the COVID-19 (Chand et al 2020 ; Das et al 2020b ; Mushi and Shao 2020 ). Ensuring good and consistently applied WASH practices in communities, homes, schools, marketplaces, and health care facilities will help to prevent human-to-human transmission of the COVID-19 (WHO 2020d ).…”

“…Human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through direct contact or through droplets spread from an infected person (Delgado et al 2020 ; Kour et al 2020 ). Contact transmission occurs when people with contaminated hands touch their nose, eyes, or mouth (Mushi and Shao 2020 ), while indirect contact transmission may happen when the virus is transferred from one surface to another by contaminated hands (Anderson et al 2020 ).…”

Combating SARS-CoV-2: leveraging microbicidal experiences with other emerging/re-emerging viruses

“…While handwashing practices practically can be applied in developed countries, there are still some three billion people in developing countries without access to basic handwashing facilities in the home and where proper hand hygiene may not be practiced in the majority of healthcare facilities ( Mushi & Shao, 2020 ). Basic IPAC practices, such as those mentioned by the WHO and by the U.S. CDC, are applicable not only to the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, but also to any emerging outbreaks involving enveloped viruses, which are highly susceptible to hand washing using soap and water and alcohol-based hand rubs and to surface hygiene using commonly employed household disinfectants.…”

Microbicidal actives with virucidal efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and other beta- and alpha-coronaviruses: implications for future emerging coronaviruses and other enveloped viruses

“…Since it is not known yet whether infectious SARS-CoV-2 persists in wastewater streams 39,40 , we cannot address the question of whether hygiene interventions can reduce the infectious viral burden of such waste streams. This remains a signi cant knowledge gap that has yet to be closed 82 . There are data on the persistence of infectious virus in water for other coronaviruses, such as transmissible gastroenteritis virus, mouse hepatitis virus-1, and SARS-CoV reviewed in 40,41 .…”